A Relic Retrieved; A Conspiracy Unveiled

[LithiumSedai 5750]

The Royal Salvian Regiment locates the stolen remains of Ven. Fr. Wert, 1945

 

[!] A letter is dispatched to the Prince of Merryweather, signed by the Syndicate Envoy to the Waldenic Diet, Sir Daris Verethi.

((Please do not metagame and RP the contents of this letter unless they are shared by the recipients.))

 

 

TO HENRY, PRINCE OF THE ALSTREIM BLOOD,

 

Three blessings to you and Saint Ottomar’s eternal grace and protection. I am writing to you instead of conveying my concerns in person and in private, though the implications are severe, so that the record of what occurred may be shared by you with the appropriate outlander allies and authorities. I understand that your King, although a child, carries the blessing of the Infant-Martyr, and commands the wisdom necessary to take action. You have my permission to present this account to him and to any whom you can trust with your life.

 

Recently, but a few Saint’s Days ago, a patrol from our Victory sent to survey and secure the surroundings of Whitespire came across a macabre sight. Beneath the Temple of the Exalted Prophets, the final resting places of several virtuous outlanders were desecrated by an unknown blasphemer. Summoned to this place by my kinsman-in-law, Garnis Nyrilnith, I constituted that the assailant robbed several graves; most notably, that of your outlander Venerable, the Father Wert, whose remains were stolen. Though I am aware that cremation is seldom practiced in the Outlands, and understand well the importance of preserving the relics and remains of the holiest, I shuddered at the thought of enabling such easy desecration, and that not a single lock nor sentry prevented the blasphemer from seizing the Venerable Father’s remains.

 

We, the blades of our Incorruptible King and our Creator in the highest, could not allow ourselves to bear the shame of inaction. You are no doubt aware that every crewman of the Victory, every Royal Knight of the Regiment aboard, was hand-picked for their zeal and innate skill and ability, including that of investigation, and thorough tracking. In the territory of Merryweather, we burned incense and prayed for the intercession of those of your kin who have committed many pious acts, yet have been denied due recognition.  

 

And thus, thanks to the mercy of Tylos II and Sister Calliope, our efforts bore fruit within a mere Saint’s Day - the few traces left behind by the blasphemer, otherwise impossible to track and inconceivable to the mind of any uninspired detective, formed a clear path before the eyes of us Salvians. The body of the Venerable Father was soon located in a lair barricaded by darkspawn, an evil spirit or a shapeshifter of some kind; though the vile being had fled prior to our arrival, we were able to break in and retrieve the priest’s remains, and truly, in that moment, every Salvian wept tears of joy for the relic we had seized from the grasp of darkness.

 

Yet, regretfully, we were soon to find out that our trials had not ended there. I sent my kinsman, Nisstar Verethi, to the Temple to negotiate the safe return of Father Wert’s remains. He returned sooner than we had expected, pale-faced, with a disturbing story - all evidence of desecration had been surreptitiously removed in the meantime, and the Venerable Father’s grave was restored as if no wrongdoing had been committed at all. When he carefully inquired within, those present insisted that nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. A chilling realization came over us that someone at the Temple must have wished to cover up this desecration, and was either all too willing to make amends with Father Wert’s disappearance; or worse, that the blasphemer who had stolen his remains must have had help from within.

 

Helsuren commanded that we bring the casket aboard and deliver it to the City for safekeeping; he believes a grave conspiracy is at hand, that the outlanders of your Temple cannot be trusted; that the disdain shown for your venerable folk in Aaun is part of an orchestrated effort to undermine our Faith within your Kingdom. Know that our sacred duty demands of us to pursue this matter until the very end, and we duly ask for your assistance. I beseech you, write back to the Victory at your earliest convenience.

 

FOREVER YOUR FAITHFUL BROTHER IN GOD,

 

 

 

[Norgeth 1894]

Ven. Father Wert grumbles from the seven skies, pondering why they thought not to cremate him, an Owynist priest. However, he offered an thankful nod, unseen from the heavens to those who retrieved his mortal remains.